Foot-treatment appliance



Dec. 17, 1929. A. E. BLOCK 1,739,540

FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 17,1929. A. E. BLOCK 1,739,540

FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 31, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v iii 11.4 01.44.

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ALMA/405A ,6. 31 0.

Dec. 17, 1929. A. E. BLOCK FOOT TREATMENT APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 31,, 19275 Sheets-Sheet 3 fix. Emu/06R .6. 6000K HTfOR VEX Patented Dec. 17, 1929P ATEN'T ALEXANDER" E. BLOCK, 0]? ST. 1301115,, MISSOURI FOOT TREATMENTAPPLIANCE Application fileiDccember' 31, 1927. SerialZNba248787i Myinvention relates to: improvements in footitreatment appliances. andhasfor itsobject: the production of an adjustable support for the'anteriormetatarsal arch of the wearers foot, together with improvementsforadjust'ably' supporting both the inner. and the outer longitudinal. archof the: wearers foot, as well: as the; heelz'of the wearer.

My invention grows :outnof the-necessityof supporting: either 'or. both.01": the; longitudinal archesofithe.wearers foot, and one side ortheother-oft the wearers heel, while treating: the various: displacementsof the: bones forming the-anterior metatarsalarchz. Such cooperative.adjustments are not required in all-in stances, but it is highlydesirable to. have'ran appliance which has theicapacity for. such adsjustments in; order to adapt itself to: the: treatmentof. a wide rangeofxdistortions or injuriesof the anterior. 1netatarsal arch,.as' well aseither or both of the; longitudinal arches, and: abnormal conditions: ofthe 2 heel ofthe wearersioot. I

Furthermore, appliancessof this; class are: to be employed'in shoeshaving various de greesaof curvature of. thersole,,andr' my appliance.provides for the-mounting; of therappliance. within shoes whose. soleshavervaryingi curvature, and ofproviding Withinritselffor theadjustmentof the varionsparts withtheappliance resulting from. such curvature;

A aln-anob ectzofm invention isto rovide an appliance capableof'adjustment'beefore beingplaced-in-the shoe, asWellasa'fter it hasbeenmounted in theshoe and capableof-entireremoval from the shoe whendesired. The-operation of removal fromthe'shoemay. be to replace" theadjustedappliance. in another shoe, or simply becausethe treatmentof thefoot hasbeen-successful, and thepresence ofthe appliance within theshoe'is no longernecessary.

An ad'litional objectzof my, invention. re.-' sides in the Wide rangeofuadj ustability which is attained thereby,.and which will be;elaborated in the descriptive portionof this speci' theminimum amountof" labor involved in their. manufacture.

Drawings In. the; drawings Fig.- 1: is a: top plan view of. an applianceembodying: my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view offthesame.

Fig.3'isatop'plan view of: the:same-with the top layer lifted andfoldedback: for: the purpose of the insertion: of the: elements: em ployed intreating the anterior metatarsal arch; the base insole being alsozliftedto'disclose the pocket formation of the rear of the appliance. Y

Fig. his a transversesectional View taken onthelinezl-4-0f Fig. 1-.

Fig. 5 is-afraginental longitudinal-section of the appliance; taken ontheline: 55,. of Fig. 1.-

Fig;-6 isa top plan View of: one of thexbifnrcated holders carryingiinserts for: the treatment of the longitudinal archesand heel of thewearers-foot Fig. 7 is a top planview of one of the inserts intendedtobe-mountedin the-holder illustrated'in Fig. 6..

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional View of theholder illustrated in' Fig.6, taken'onthe line 88 of'Fig. 6. H 7

Fig.9 'is a transversesectionalzviewof the insert? illustrated-inFigiF.

Fig. 10 is atrans'v-erse sectionalview of the holder shown inFigiadw-ith-two inserts in place, taken on the:line 88. of Fig. 6.-

Fig. 11-is a-top'plan view of theeccentrically-humpecl insert employedin=thetreat-- I Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the carrier of Fig. 15 inplace, with one of the inserts of Fig. 11 mounted on said carrier.

Fig. 18 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 1818 of Fig.17.

Fig. 19 is a view similar to that of Fig. 18, with theeccentrically-humped insert of Fig. 11 in reversed position.

Fig. 20 is a view of the carrier of Fig.

layer, taken on the line 18'18 of Fig. 17, and showing in section twoofthe inserts of Fig. 11 in place upon said carrier.

Fig. 21 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2121 of Fig. 3,and showing one of the holders of Fig. 6 in place, with two of theinserts of Fig. 7 mounted in said holder.

Fig. 22 is also a transverse sectional view taken on the line 21-21 ofFig. 3 showing two of the holders of Fig. 6 in place and two of theinserts of Fig. 7 mounted in each of said holders.

Fig. 23 is also a transverse sectional view taken on the line 21-21 ofFig. 3, showing v two of the holders of Fig. 6 in place and one of theinserts of Fig. 7 in place in each of said holders.

Description and is secured to said flap C and (at its forward end) tothe base insole A by the line of stitching 33, to form the right handpocket 34. I

Toward its rear end the base insole A is .provided with a series oftransverse slots 35,

each of which slots is capable of receiving the locking tongue 36, whichtongue 36 is formed in the top layer B, and is illustrated in section inlocked position in Fig. 5.

Slightly forward of its longitudinal center, the base insole A' isprovided with a series of transverse slots 37 which are arranged toreceive the constricted tail 38 of the carrier E, in the manner shown inFig. 17.

.The function of the carrier E is to serve as a mount for one or more ofthe inserts F, said inserts F having an eccentric hump 39. Thiseccentric hump 39 permits the insert F to afiord two different highpoints of support by being reversed, top for bottom, upon the carrier E.The carrier E is provided with various slots 40 to provide for theadjustment of the insert F forwardly, rearwardly, or widewise, as shownin Fig. 15. The insert F is provided with a series of marginal slots 41arranged to lock said in sert F in place within either of the slots 40of the carrier E. The insert F is of the contour shown in Figs. 11, 12,13, and 14, and the slots 41 are formed in its sides toward its thin andtapering rear terminal 43.

One'or two of the inserts F being mounted in the desired position uponthe carrier E, the carrier E is laid in place upon the base 15 in placebetween the base insole and topv insoleA, with the forward ed e 42 ofthe carrier E in proximity to the line of stitchinsole A, as shown inFig. 3, for the reception of the carrier E, is brought downwardly tocover the carrier E and insert F. As the bulk of the insert E, with itscarrier F, when in place, will serve to bring the rear edge of the toplayer B forward of the rear edge of the base insole A, the lockingtongue 36 will be placed in position within one of the slots 35, asshown in Fig. 5, to secure the top layer B in place and prevent it fromslipping under the pressure of the foot of the wearer. As indicated bythe stippling shown on the lower face of thetop layer in Fig. 3, Iemploy a slightly tenuous adhesive upon its entire surface, so that saidtop layer B may, by moistening the adhesive, be caused to adhere lightlyto the opposed top surface of the base insole A, as a furtherpreventative of slipping when in place. Such adhesion is only temporary,and mustpermit the ready lifting of the layer B when it is desired toalter the adjustment of the insert F upon its carrier E.

Beneath the base insole A are the pockets 32 and 34, each extending fromthe rear end of the appliance to a point under the longitudinal archesof the wearers foot, and

for use'within said pockets 32 and 34 I have provided bifurcated holdersG, consisting of 6, to the inner edge of which is secured the cover 51by means of the line of stitching 52, thus forming the pocket 53. Uponthe bottom surface of the cover 51 is secured a layer 54 having thesuperficial outline shown in Fig. 6, and secured to the cover 51 by theline of stitching 55, thus forming the pocket 56 (see Fig. 10). Theinserts H are of the form shown in Fig. 7 and are contoured tosubstantially fill the pockets 53 and 56. I have illustrated in Fi 21the use of two of the inserts H in one o the holders G. In Fig. 22 Ihave shown the use of two of the holders Gr, one in each of the pocket;32 and 34, each of said holders G being provided with two of the insertsI-I.

By the described structure I am enabled to treat either of themetatarsal joints by means of the various adjustments of the insert F,and to treat either of the longitudinal arches by means of the insertsH. By the use of the inserts H I provide support for the inner or outersides of the heel of the wearer in conjunction with the correspondingarch of the foot; and the adjustment of the heel and arch may beregulated in coincidence with the treatment of the anterior metatarsalarch at whatever point or area along the line of the anterior metatarsalarch that may need support.

To removably secure the appliance in place within the shoe, the entirebottom surface of the appliance as indicated in Fig. 2 by stippling iscoated with rubber cement, or like adhesive, so as to be substantiallyglued in place within the wearers shoe; but the degree of adhesion mustbe such as to permit the removal of the appliance when occasion requiresit.

Variations of structure may be effected in the construction which I haveillustrated and described without departure from my actual invention asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved foot-treatment appliance comprising a base insole and aco-extensive top layer of like material secured together transversely attheir front ends; a tongue formed in said top layer; and locking meansformed in said base layer for the reception of said tongue at variouspoints in said base layer.

2. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a slotted carrier and an insertadapted to be mounted in either of the slots of said carrier; with abase insole and a co-extensive top layer arranged to receive saidcarrier between them; and means for adjustably securing said top layerto said base insole.

3. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a slotted carrier and aneccentrically-humped insert adapted to be mounted in either of the slotsof said carrier; with a base insole and a co-extensive top layerarranged to receive said carrier between them; and means for adjustablysecuring said top layer to said base insole.

4:. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a base insole contoured to litthe interior of a shoe rearwardly from the line of the anteriormetatarsal arch of the wearer; a coextensive top layer secured at itsforward end to said insole; a carrier arranged to be held between saidinsole and top layer; an insert arranged to be held by said carrier:flaps mounted beneath said base insole and forming a right-hand pocketand a left-hand pocket beneath the longitudinal arch and heel of thewearer; bifurcated holders contoured to fit said pockets; and insertscontoured to fit said bifurcated holders.

5. A foot-treatment appliance comprising a slotted carrier and a slottedinsert adapted to be mounted in either of the slots of said carrier;with a base insole and a co-- ALEXANDER E. BLOCK.

